Controversial anti-encryption laws rushed through by Australian Government

Just a few short days after the Australian Government originally announced its intention to pass new, far-reaching anti-encryption laws before Christmas, it’s made good on the promise, becoming the first country in the world to impose legislation of this nature.

The new laws will allow certain Australian state and federal governmental and law enforcement agencies to request access to a suspected criminal’s encrypted communications. Those requests will go directly to the tech company responsible for the specific encrypted messaging service.

Despite the Opposition Labor party initially stating it would only accept the “unsatisfactory” bill with strict limitations, it has since dropped these demands on the proviso that the government reconsider its proposed amendments when the government next sits in early 2019.

However, this proviso is one based on good faith and doesn’t necessitate that any of the Opposition’s proposed limitations – such as reducing the power to only federal level law enforcement – will be enacted by the government come the new year.

Australian anti-encryption laws will be in place by Christmas In August of 2018, the Australian Government released details about the Assistance and Access Bill, which would legally oblige tech companies to grant access to encrypted user data when requested by law enforcement agencies.The federal government and Labor party have…

Australia passes new law to thwart strong encryption Enlarge / The Member for Sydney Tanya Plibersek speaks as the Labor party stay for the end of parliament in the House of Representatives at Parliament House on December 06, 2018, in Canberra, Australia. (credit: Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images) On Thursday,…